The crew chief called out, and the men swarmed to their positions, and as the chief began to chant, they began swinging the ram back and forth. With a final yell, they pushed the massive beam forward. With a crash, it smacked into the doors, bursting them open.
Selnikov blinked. “They weren’t even barred.”
The crew, who obviously hadn’t expected the door to give so easily, milled about in confusion for a moment. Several braver souls peered into the courtyard, and then turned back to their fellows with postures that, even from a distance, easily indicated confusion and surprise.
The waiting crowd, seeing that there was no resistance, began to surge forward.
Selnikov swept everything he could see with his telescope. “Nothing! There’s nobody in sight!” He collapsed the tube in on itself. “Something is not right,” he declared.
Anevka turned to the runners by her side. “Find my brother,” she ordered them. “Find him quickly!”
They darted off to spread the word through the increasingly chaotic crowd that was jamming into the defenseless castle.
About an hour later, a semblance of order had been restored. Anevka had ordered the cellar casks opened, and the majority of the crowd were standing about the courtyard with mugs of ale, congratulating themselves on a valiant attack.
Within one of the main dining halls, the early morning sun illuminated the great table and caused the gilt-covered walls to glow warmly as a temporary staff served cold meat and cheese to a core group of soldiers and staff that reported to the princess.
One of these was finishing his latest report. “—And the rest of the castle appears to be completely abandoned, your Highness.” Anevka listened to this with a growing nervousness. The sparse domestic staff that had remained behind after Anevka had escaped, had been found dead in their rooms.
The tension was broken by the sudden entrance of one of the searchers. “We found him!” He shouted, “We found the Prince!”
Anevka nodded in relief. “Yes? So where is he?”
The searcher looked distressed. “Ah—”
She leaned forward. “Is he all right?”
The man was obviously at a loss for words. “We... we didn’t want to move him. He’s...” He gave up trying to explain. “You’d better come.”
He led them down to one of the more isolated laboratories in the castle cellars. Racks of esoteric equipment hummed discordantly. Hanging from the ceiling, enmeshed in a nest of cables and tubes was Prince Tarvek. The large device he was connected to periodically rippled with waves of red lights. The crowd of searchers stared up at him.
“You see, your Highness? This is Spark stuff. We didn’t know what to do.”
Anevka nodded. She had to admit that she was at a bit of a loss herself.
Tarvek stirred, causing the onlookers to involuntarily step back. His eyes opened, and then focused on his sister. “Anevka,” he whispered. “Thank goodness you’ve come.”
Feeling the eyes of the crowd on her, Anevka warily stepped forward. “What happened, dear brother?”
Tarvek sighed. “Lady Vrin. She never trusted me, and she heard me talking to Veilchen.”
Anevka nodded. “I knew she’d be trouble. But where is everyone?”
Tarvek open his mouth, paused, and then glanced at the listening crowd.
Anevka nodded, turned, and clapped her hands. A slight adjustment to her vocal apparatus, and everyone hung on her every word. “All of you. Leave us. Shut the door. Do not listen in, and let no one disturb us.” As one, the crowd turned and silently filed out. A small tug on her lines made her turn to her bearers. “Not you. Stand there and don’t listen.” The four men assumed the bored, vacant expressions they habitually wore.
When the door closed, Anevka looked back up at her brother. “So where are they?”
“They’re gone. All of them. And they’ve taken all of father’s machines.”
Anevka stepped back and made the small clicking sound that indicated annoyance. “She got away? How inconvenient.”
Tarvek nodded. “They collapsed the tunnels behind them, and sealed the shafts to the Geister village.”
“So we have nothing we can show Klaus’ Questor? Nothing at all?”
Tarvek’s eyes widened. “Is he here?”
Anevka waved a hand. “Probably, but he’s keeping a low profile so far. I have people looking for him...” Her voice trailed off. She was obviously thinking hard.
After a minute, Tarvek cleared his throat. “Um... How about getting me down from here?”
This refocused Anevka’s attention upon him. She considered him for a moment. “No,” she decided. “I think not.”
Tarvek blinked. “Why on earth not?”
“Tarvek, be reasonable. The Baron’s man will be here any minute.” Anevka rolled her eyes. “I need someone to take the blame, and I’m afraid you’re the only one left.”
Tarvek’s jaw dropped slightly and he stared at her. He then surprised his sister by laughing admiringly. Anevka tilted her head to one side. “I must say you’re taking it well.”
Tarvek chuckled again. “Oh, Anevka, you really are amazing. I can’t believe how you’ve grown.”
Anevka folded her arms. “Is maudlin sentimentality supposed to make me feel guilty about killing you? Because if it didn’t work for Mummy—”
Tarvek shook his head. “Of course not. But I can assure you that you shan’t have to worry about dealing with the Questor.” Easily a dozen armed Geisterdamen stepped out from behind various devices. “Or anyone else, really.”
Anevka whirled and saw that her band of carriers was surrounded, effectively trapping her. “What is this?”
Lucrezia stepped forth and grinned. “This, dear girl, is a change of plans.”
Anevka ignored her, and spoke to her carriers. “Be ready to move, gentlemen.”
Lucrezia smirked. “Oh surely you don’t think they can stand up to my priestesses?” As one, the assembled Geisterdamen hefted their swords.
“Of course not. My boys are strong, but they’re not dangerous.” Idly her hand drifted up to the speaker at her throat and twisted a dial. “That would be me. SLEEP!”
This last command boomed out through the room, and with a sigh, every one of the pale women swooned and fell to the floor. The only exceptions were Vrin, who only kept her feet with visible difficulty, and Lucrezia herself. After a shocked second, Lucrezia whirled to face Tarvek. “You gave her my voice?” she shrieked.
Tarvek looked impressed. “And did a better job of it than I’d thought.”
“Oh don’t be so smug,” Anevka hissed. “It still didn’t take out Vrin.”
That worthy arose from the side of the priestess she had been examining. “Of course not!” she sneered. “I am not some first rank priestess able to be manipulated by voice alone. I know my Lady!” She raised her sword and leapt forward. “And I know my duty! Die, monster!”
Her sword swept down, and was stopped dead when Anevka caught it in a steel hand. “I don’t think I shall,” Anevka said airily. Her other hand reached out and closed about Vrin’s throat. “I am a very well-made monster.” An electric blue flare crackled about Vrin’s neck and head, and the Geisterdamen collapsed to the ground.
“Vrin!” Lucrezia looked furious as her ally toppled to the floor.
Anevka lazily examined her smoking hand. “Oh, don’t worry. She’s probably not dead. Yet.”
She now looked directly at Lucrezia and took a step towards her. “So what do you think of my outfit? It’s my ‘Heroine of the City’ costume.”
She took another step, and Lucrezia took a step backwards. “Oh I’m sure you’ve heard stories like it: ‘The Valiant Princess, who, when all seemed lost, rallied the people and took revenge upon her father’s vile murderer?’” She took another step. “That’s you, by the way.”